1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to electrical connectors of a type which has a double lock mechanism for assuredly holding electrical terminals in position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, one conventional electrical connector of the above-mentioned type will be outlined with reference to FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 of the accompanying drawings.
Referring to FIG. 14, there is shown a male part of the electrical connector which is to be mated with a female part (not shown). The male part comprises a plastic housing 10 which has a front smaller portion 12 and a rear larger portion 14. The front smaller and rear larger portions 12 and 14 are united. They are generally rectangular in shape and have therein a plurality of abreast arranged passages 20.
For defining the passages 20, a terminal support 18 having abreast arranged channels is installed in the housing 10, which is integral with the same. The channels are so sized as to receive therein hollow terminal pins 22 (see FIGS. 15 and 16).
As is seen from FIGS. 15 and 16, the rear larger portion 14 of the housing 10 is integrally formed with upper and lower hinged portions 24 and 26. The hinge portions are denoted by numeral 28. The upper and lower portions 24 and 26 are thus pivotal between an opened position as is seen from FIG. 15 and a closed position as is seen from FIG. 16. A known lock means is provided for keeping the closed position of the upper and lower portions 24 and 26.
The upper and lower portions 24 and 26 are respectively formed with laterally extending and projected portions 30 (only one is shown). As is seen from FIG. 16, when the upper and lower portions 24 and 26 assume the closed position, each projected portion 30 has a vertical front surface 30a.
The terminal support 18 is formed at each passage 20 with a rearwardly extending flexible arm 31 which has at the rear end thereof an upward projection 32.
Each terminal 22 is an elongate member, and is formed at a rear portion thereof with a smaller projection 34 which is lockably engageable with the projection 32 and at a rear end thereof with a larger projection 36. The smaller and larger projections 34 and 36 are positioned at diametrically opposed portions of the terminal 22. The larger projection 36 has a generally vertical rear end surface 36a.
Installation of the terminals 22 to the electrical connector is made as follows.
First, as is seen from FIG. 15, the upper and lower portions 24 and 26 of the housing 10 are opened. Then, the terminals 22 are inserted into the passages 20 of the terminal support 18 from the rear open end of the housing 10. The insertion of the terminals 22 is continued until they come to their proper positions. Upon reaching, the smaller projections 34 of the terminals 22 are latchingly engaged with the projections 32 of the terminal support 18 and thus, the terminals 22 are latched in the passages 20. Then, as is seen from FIG. 16, the upper and lower portions 24 and 26 are pivoted to assume the closed position. With this, the vertical front surfaces 30a of the projected portions 30 of the upper and lower portions 24 and 26 are brought into abutment with the rear end surfaces 36a of the projections 36 of the terminals 22. Thus, the terminals 22 are locked double by the projections 32 as well as the projected portions 30, and thus, the terminals 22 are assuredly held in the passages 20.
However, due to its inherent construction, the above-mentioned conventional electrical connector has the following drawback.
That is, if the closing pivoting of the upper and lower portions 24 and 26 is carried out with some of the terminals 22 kept inproperly set in the passages 20, the closing pivoting is not permitted because of an abnormal abutment of the projections 30 against the projections 36. If, under such condition, the upper and lower portions 24 and 26 are applied with a greater force for intending the closed position thereof, the terminals 22 may be damaged.